Mini Me
Slightly deceptive title, my younger brother, on one hand, has really taken to ‘self-building’, on the other, he wins hands down in the attractive, intelligence and talented stakes.
Taking time out of his busy schedule he rocked up from the deep south (somewhere near Bournemouth) to help lay the floor.
It arrived!
A little battered and bruised? The contents (V4 EG106 Engineered European Oak Flooring – Broad Oak), thankfully, completely intact.
The first job is to clean and clear the floor, remove any odd lumps or bumps and fill a couple of gaping holes. Then prime – Sika Primer MB (2-component epoxy primer and moisture barrier for SikaBond wood flooring adhesives). Make sure you use ‘disposable’ rollers to apply.
Leave overnight to cure.
With Mini-Me in the house, taking a near professional approach to setup, there’s every chance the floor will align well and look good to the eye.
Find the centre line, measure to the edge and calculate the number of boards and the width of the piece against both walls. Cut and ‘glue’ the flooring – we’ve chosen to use adhesive (Sikabond MS Wood Floor), with an open time of 40 minutes.
The ratchet straps not completely necessary but ensures the boards are held together tightly, without applying too much pressure which would lift the edges. The clean work area is incredibly deceptive, the adhesive gets everywhere. Essential to cleaning is Everbuild Wonder Wipes Spray – make sure you have plenty in, and a whole pile of disposable rags, before you start.
Old kitchen, new study next. Seemed a lot more straight forward. Door frames cut to accept the flooring underneath and boards pre-cut and dry laid before committing.
The previous attempt at levelling the utility floor had failed – we live, we learn. Another evening reading ‘how to’ guides on the internet suggested using an acrylic primer, then a self leveller with fibres (once the old material had been stripped away and the floor cleaned).
Prime the repair in the lounge and utility floor once dry.
Ready to lay the remaining floor the next day
Next job? Architrave and skirting board (coming soon).
